Cast: Ajay Devgn, Salman Khan, Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Arjun Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vicky Kaushal
Direction: Rohit Shetty
The ‘Sooryavanshi’ pause or for that matter the earlier edition of the ‘Singham’ franchise laid the path for another definitive 160-minute action-packed Rohit Shetty outing. Inspired by the Feroz Khan “car destruction syndrome” and letting four-wheelers do what Papa Shetty expected of humans, is Rohit’s forte. The audience expects it. Accept? Will wait. Does repetition enhance reputation and bring in the moolah, or does “think big” sink is a Friday-to-Sunday question.
The storyline, for those who still look for one in every nook and corner of cinema, is about the vendetta of Zubair Hafiz aka Danger Lanka (Arjun Kapoor) who, to avenge the death of his granddad Omar Hafiz (Jackie Shroff), kidnaps Avni (Kareena Kapoor). This is a signal for the Rohit cops: Singham (Ajay Devgun), Sooryavanshi (Akshay Kumar) and Simbha (Ranveer Singh) to head to Lanka – to the town where Sita was held captive. Lest there are the uninitiated, Rohit decides to teach us Bollywood-cop ‘Ramayana’. Add to the three super cops: SP Shakti Shetty (Deepika) and ACP Satya Bali (Tiger Shroff).
Just as imagination is hemmed by the limitations of human thought, artistic depiction too is. Stupidity, however, is infinite. Rohit may well be encouraged by market forces and could well be invited to the Ivy League schools to talk about the physics of cars and the dynamics of the box office. It is irritatingly clear that the local police commissioner’s circular on firework nuisance and sound decibels is not applicable to the Rohit cop-verse. This is arguably the next expanded inch of the Rohit expanse and a step in the direction of ‘Singham Again’.
There is also this worrisome ecosystem steady in the indoctrination and gleeful in acceptance where “police power” is celebrated. The best way to make it unquestionable is to place the “terrorist” as the common enemy. Would one ask what is more dangerous to the structure — the bomb scare or the white ants? Is it the terror of the “outlaw” or the brazen disregard to the legal principles by the representatives of law?
Mainstream cinema continues to feed on the misplaced adrenaline and the psychic gameplay of nurturing the voyeuristic pleasure in a citizenry. Brave in the collective (specially the closed assured environs of a movie theatre) but timid in calling the bluff. Bollywood is waiting for the kid to exclaim that the king is wearing no clothes!
Traditionally our cinema is more a take-off from the circus than an extension of the stage. Rohit has no pretensions. The only aspect he needs to factor in is the audience expectation. He answers the money bags who invested so heavily with the cast and my gut feel from the initial response at a theatre is that this is yet another winner. Like with ‘Sooryavanshi’, paradoxically, the film is better off in the lighter moments than in the action scenes. Also, given the need to account for additional stars (Deepika and Tiger), Rohit eschews painting the villains. In fact, unapologetically, the villain here is more on a vendetta than the portrayed convenience of the terrorist.
The revenge saga goes back to Dadu Hafiz (Jackie Shroff) whose attempts to kill DCP Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn) only leads to his capture. The task of revenge moves to the grandson Zubair (Arjun Kapoor). What gets irksome and propagandist is drawing constant parallels with the Ramayana and helping the good-evil conflict deepen with religious overtures. Et tu Rohit? Arvi (KK) is kidnapped and taken to Sri Lanka. Simba (the obvious Hanuman parallel) first arrives in Lanka. Thrills endless, the propping up of Sooryavanshi ACP Satya Bali (Tiger Shroff) and the token addition of the inspector (Deepika) contribute to a keepsake domestic marriage picture in the sixties and seventies.
Of the cast, Ajay Devgn, who has put his feet where his money is, has obviously kept himself prim and performs with the fervour that is expected of him and his persona – more particularly ‘Singham’. Akshay Kumar walks in too late and makes good with quips and stunts. Kareena and Deepika are floral decors. Tiger is an add-on with no value. Arjun Kapoor looks too chubby to be a villain. He seems more as if in the company of one Malaika than enjoying the dreadful villain the script casts him to be. The best is Ranveer. He is his usual self. His light-hearted quips add a lot of value to the film. The flavour he brings on board is crucial in the shift from mere destructive action to some lighter moments. So this ‘Singham’ is closer to ‘Sooryavanshi’ in style and approach. What costs the film the fun element is the “oversell” of the Ramayana.
Wait now for the returns of the cops with Chulbul Pandey added to the menu card.